


sprawling on a pin

by tessaquayle



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: 007 Fest, Angst, F/M, First Meetings, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-09 17:24:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15272523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tessaquayle/pseuds/tessaquayle
Summary: q lassoes the moon for 007.  m meets his match.





	sprawling on a pin

The two men spent the morning across from one another at a large chrome desk in the middle of Q’s workshop.  The wall behind them was a blue screen of flickering light, flashing text, and fluorescent lines like the shimmering fish in an aquarium.   M found the exposed beams and open space - where one could spy an entire room of agents furiously tapping away at their laptops - almost disorderly, the lack of containment a sort of chaos.  He leaned back into his chair.

Q took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, squinting.  His unruly chestnut curls covered his furrowed brows.   

“I need your advice, M.”

“On what?”

“I’m thinking - for 007’s next mission - to switch from the Omega Seamaster to the Moonwatch.  Do you think he’d mind?”

“If it’s the Moonwatch with the sapphire, he won’t even notice,” M said with wry amusement, winking, “your special friend is not the most utilitarian.”  

“Special friend?” Q asked, the lilt in his tone a strain to keep from sounding too incredulous.

“You know what I mean,” M sighed and rolled his eyes.  “It is what it is.  Enjoy your youth!  Before your hair thins and you end up like me.  Prufrock is a warning, not a love song.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” mumbled the younger man, “but never mind.  Before you go - remember you’re meeting that American surgeon today - the one who’s joining us on this case.”

“Oh?”  M stood up to gather his belongings and stuffed several files into his worn leather briefcase.  It was better suited to aging, its patina only growing richer and more appealing, unlike the image he saw in the mirror every morning.  “When is he arriving?”

“She,” Q corrected him, the sharp emphasis in his voice startling them both, “ _She’s_ with Moneypenny now and they should be coming by soon.”

M tightened his jaw.  He felt slightly chastened and irritable with it.  Before he could fret over whether Q would reveal this slip of bias and to whom, he heard Moneypenny’s infectious laugh becoming more vivid as the two women approached.  M looked up and his eyes grew wide; he found himself straightening his knees to recover his posture.

Moneypenny beamed a smile at M and gestured to the lithe, dark-haired woman beside her: “M, I want you to meet Dr Liu.”

“Please - call me Vivian. Unless I should pick a letter—I’m fond of L, for obvious reasons.” 

She stretched out her forearm toward him for a handshake, her skin soft against his, but a firm grip, assured.  They stood close enough so that he could breathe in her fragrance, a hint of jasmine and vetiver.  Her brown eyes were warm but incisive, her cheekbones high yet not severe, her face delicate as a Renaissance painting and with a keen intelligence animating her.   Wrapped in a power red sheath dress, Vivian seemed to fill the room with an arresting air. When she stepped back and let go, he was suddenly aware of how much he had been staring.

“Mallory,” he blurted, “Gareth Mallory.”  

She arched an eyebrow at his reply, her full lower lip curving into a knowing grin.  Bloody hell, he thought.  He winced at how derivative he must have sounded.  He had meant to introduce himself as Gareth, and just Gareth, and imagined her head on his chest, whispering his name.  

“A pleasure,” she said, the laughter in her tone along with appraisal.  He felt pinned by her gaze. He had a new and acute sympathy for butterflies.

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from TS Eliot's "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
> 
> this ficlet was created specifically for the July 13 2018 "original character" challenge on Tumblr's 007 Fest
> 
> pro-tip: the omega moonwatch makes a pretty damn great wedding gift for your spouse.


End file.
